26 Search Results for ""la nina""

• Viva La Vie By Arc'teryx Viva La Vie By Arc'teryx

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    American climber, Jonathan Siegrist, embarks on a journey to France to pay tribute to the roots of modern sport climbing. After teaming up with Swiss superstar, Nina Caprez, the two climb the hardest routes the Verdon Gorge has to offer. Shortly thereafter, they stumble upon the greater meaning of climbing when they were least looking for it.
    
    3 Strings Productions
    Directed by: Andy Mann & Keith Ladzinski
    Edited by: Andy Mann & Scott Neel
    Produced by: 3 Strings Productions
    
    

  • 1 day ago
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• News: Large Snow Storm Slams I News: Large Snow Storm Slams Into Southern Colorado

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    

    Colorado skiers and riders are heading south in search of pow and finding it big time at the Wolf Creek Ski Area and Silverton Mountain, where winter has returned.
    
    Winter weather slammed the Wolf Creek Ski Area in Southern Colorado dropping 42“ of powder in 4 days. While Silverton Mountain picked up another 48” of fresh snow. 
    
    Southern Colorado seems to be favoring the current La Nina weather patterns especially the Wolf Creek Ski Area which has received 197“ of snow this season. Known for having one of the lowest lift ticket prices in Colorado, great terrain and lack of crowds Wolf Creek is a powder skier or riders dream come true.

     

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  • 3 months ago
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• News: Silverton Mountain Is Lo News: Silverton Mountain Is Loaded Up With 2-3 Feet Of Fresh Snow!

  • From: TetonGravityResearch
  • Description:

    

    This most recent winter storm at Silverton Mountain, Colorado loaded up the mountain with as much as 2-3 feet of fresh snow!  A few lucky ski patrollers jumped on the chairlift today and headed to the top of Silverton Mountain to make the first ski turns of the 2012/13 ski season.  A fresh blanket of snow covered the mountain making for a fun ski day. 
    
    Both La Nina and El Nino can bless this microclimate, which tends to make Silverton Mountain a reliable snow location.
    
    The official start of the ski season is slated for December 1, 2012 but if the snow keeps up at this pace that date could be pushed up.  Silverton Mountain is the highest ski area in North America with a peak of 13,487’ providing for skiing on all natural snow as early as August in previous years.
    
    Silverton Mountain is Now Open 7 Days a Week for the Holidays!
    December in Silverton can be unreal. No holiday crowds and big dumps make it one of the best times of the season. With extra December dates added (Open Dec 15-30th every day except Xmas) it has more skiing/boarding options than ever before. The mountain will also be open Presidents Day 2013. December usually has fantastic snow and has been one of the snowiest months at the mountain. In fact the all time monthly snowfall record was set in December with over 200” in a single month. One year there was so much snow on opening day we were unable to open as the County snow plows could not make it up the road.
    
    The $300 off Season Pass sale is coming to an end…
    The Pass gets you the unguided ski season (which is even longer this year) and includes 15 FREE ski days (5 days at A-Basin, 5 days at Monarch, and 5 days at Loveland) for an unbelievably low price of $499. Also included are; 1/2 price standby heli drops, discounted standby guided skiing at only $79, and premium draft beers for only $2. BUY SEASON PASSES HERE
    
    Avalanche classes at Silverton Mountain will once again be offered in December.
    This is an excellent way to learn the mechanics of avalanches and hone your skills for backcountry travel. Our classes are for only advanced and expert skier and boarders. They are AIARE certified classes and class size is small (usually 6-12 students).
    Avalanche Level I – Dec. 14-16, 2012
    Avalanche Level II – Dec. 6-9, 2012
    Visit: AVALANCHE CLASSES.
    
    

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  • 6 months ago
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• Jackson Hole welcomes La Niña. Jackson Hole welcomes La Niña... AGAIN!

  • From: jacksonhole
  • Description:

    Kicking off the 135-day season here at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.  Great skiing action at the end of the video with Adam Dowell and Linsey Dyer.
    
    Check Out More Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Videos Here 

  • 1 year ago
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• Stolen VIICE skis: "The Goods" Stolen VIICE skis: "The Goods" top sheet

  • From: viicegirl3
  • Description:

    This is the La Nina weather pattern hitting the Wasatch front. NOAA weather graphic. Only 3 topsheets in the world look like this and they were all stolen. 2 - 177's and a 197. THe 177's both have white VIST bindings on them, one had red bases - one has black bases. The 197's has orange VIST bindings with black bases (see the other pic I posted) all of the bases have the VIICE ski mask logo on them. If you see them CALL THE VICE SQUAD at (801) 560-4109 you can see more info on the Gas Pedals at www.viiceskis.com in case you need to look closer.

  • 1 year ago
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• Why La Nina Has Brought Fickle Why La Nina Has Brought Fickle Winter Weather So Far

  • From: johnclarydavies
  • Description:

    Unless you’re in Japan or St. Anton right now, you’ve probably noticed there isn’t a lot of snow. From Squaw Valley’s 12-inch base to Mad River Glen’s 40 inches all season, skiing in North America is looking bleak. Sadly, this snowless winter is coming in a La Nina year, which typically produce whiter forecasts.
    
    “Last year was a strong La Nina year, and this is a weak to moderate La Nina year,” said Greg West, a postdoctoral fellow with the University of British Columbia’s Weather Forecast Research Team, and the founder of Utahskiweather.com. “I think the important lesson from this year is that La Nina increases the chances of a colder, wetter year, but doesn’t guarantee it.”
    
    Some ski areas, like Vermont’s Magic Mountain, aren’t even open, while most resorts have limited terrain available. Weather Underground meteorologist Kari Kiefer said the scant snowfall throughout the West is the result of a dominant ridge of high pressure that has hovered over the West Coast for a month.
    
    “This ridge is strong enough to shove any other systems northward that move in from the Pacific Ocean,” said Kiefer. “This is why British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest have seen snow, but not the Sierras.”

    
    This Dec. 2011 photo shows the bare slopes of Kirkwood Mountain in California. Although La Nina brought a lot of snow last season, there has been less snow this season — a lot less. Mountain communities across America are hoping for more snow. Photo by Seth Lightcap.
    
    Kiefer said that some systems that track through the Northwest and BC slide back down the northern and central Rockies, which is why Colorado and Wyoming have received snowfall. Unfortunately, Kiefer said the weather models predict the weak to moderate La Nina to persist through February and March.
    
    West was more optimistic. He said that the arctic oscillation index, a term in meteorology to measure the differences in pressure between northern latitudes and mid latitudes, have been positive this year, which means arctic air is bottled up rather than moving down to the continental US. (In fact, the past two winters have recorded AO values that have been the highest and lowest ever recorded, indicating strongly anomalous weather.) But West said the forecast is calling for the oscillations to go negative, at least temporarily, in the next week. That could lead to more snowfall.
    
    “There’s still a lot of winter left, and it could change,” said West.

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  • 1 year ago
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• EMBEDDED - Day 2 of 6 - Contro EMBEDDED - Day 2 of 6 - Control

  • From: whistlerblackcomb
  • Description:

    Control – On his second day Embedded at the Peak of Whistler Mountain, pro skier Mike Douglas gets the inside story on what to expect from La Nina this season and the avalanche control work being done to prepare the mountain from veteran Whistler avalanche forecaster Anton Horvath. After a spine tingling sunrise over the Black Tusk and his first powdery turns, Mike confidently declares ski season to be ready.

    Embedded.WhistlerBlackcomb.com

  • 2 years ago
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• Interview: Behind The Lines Of Interview: Behind The Lines Of Ski Mountaineer Seth Waterfall

  • From: dankostrzewski
  • Description:

    

    December 2, 2011

    — Dan Kostrzeski

    Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. guide, former Crystal Mountain patroller and serious ski mountaineer Seth Waterfall spends his workdays guiding clients up massive alpine peaks in the world’s highest ranges. But on his days off, Waterfall sets his sights on deep overhead days or big vertical lines such as the first and unrepeatable ski descent of the Nisqually Ice Cliff on 14,411-foot Mount Rainier. Tetongravity.com caught up with Waterfall between guiding seasons for his recap on no-fall conditions, serious rockfall and skiing some of the world’s biggest lines.

    Teton Gravity Research: Describe the Ice Cliff line you skied on Mt Rainier last spring?

    Seth Waterfall: There is a feature on the mountain called the Nisqually Ice Cliff and it’s part of where the Nisqually Glacier comes off the summit and runs south and actually runs around this rock ridge. As you are descending the left side drops off a huge rock cliff so with the ice and the rock it’s probably a good 1,000-foot tall cliff. But last year with all the snow from La Nina, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen it, but there was a strip of snow that ran continuous between the rock ridge and the ice cliff. 

    If you skied down above the ice cliff, you could get over into this snow strip and ski down that. So two friends of mine, Tyler Jones and Andy Bond who both work at RMI with me, on April 21 we decided to go up to Camp Muir. We actually had another route in mind but this was our back-up plan.

    

    TGR: Why did you pick that line?

    SW: There are just a few routes on Rainier that haven’t been skied down. A lot of them are what people used to think of as really steep ice climbs, but now people are skiing down them — which is one of the coolest things about living in the Northwest, that you can ski down people’s favorite ice climbs.

    So we went up to Muir in a storm, but we had a good forecast so we went to Camp Muir woke up in the morning and had blue skies. We headed out from Camp Muir, which is at 10,000 feet elevation and went up to the summit in about 3 1/2 hours and investigated our line on the west side of the mountain that we wanted to ski. But we found lots of rime ice and water ice and not good snow. So we came back and decided to give the Ice Cliff a try, since no one had ever skied that, we believed.

    It went pretty straightforward, we were able to locate the entrance, ski down and the skiing was really exposed but not terribly steep — maybe 45 degrees and one small pitch of 50 degrees. But it was really firm so it was definitely heads-up skiing, no hip checking or anything like that. We skied it in about ten small pitches then just a little jump over the bergshrund. Actually, the trickiest part was weaving through the crevasses below the route and trying to get out of the Nisqually Glacier and onto the Muir snowfield.

    We popped out on that took a little break and decided to ski all the way down to the Nisqually bridge, which is about an 11,000 vertical foot run. 

    

    TGR: So was it a first ski descent of the Ice Cliff?

    SW: Well, a couple weeks after we did the trip I ran into a friend who said that Mike Hattrup skied it back in the nineties. I know Hattrup so I sent him an email and he said “no way”— that he’d never heard of anyone ever skiing it before. So I’m pretty confident that no one had ever skied it before.

    And now the whole thing has fallen apart — there’s about two miles of rock debris underneath. The whole cliff we skied down is detached and collapsed and totally changed forever, so nobody is ever really going to do it again. 

    Sounds like it was a super inspiring line?

    We were pretty psyched on it. Then just to have it fall apart after that is pretty weird.

    

    TGR: What do you think caused the cliff to crumble? 

    SW: I think it was all the snow that was sitting on it. Once it started to melt it was undermining the rock. It was obviously super unstable to begin with. Stuff like that happens every fifty years on Rainier — some big rockfall.

    

    _____

    Part 2 - Antarctica
    _____

    TGR: What was your most inspiring trip this past winter?

    SW: My most inspiring trip last winter was my trip to Antarctica with Peter Whittaker and Ed Viesturs. It’s a place I’ve wanted to go for a long time and it’s such a cool continent to go to. The terrain there is like nothing I’ve ever seen in my life and there are huge ice caps as far as the eye can see and then the Ellsworth Range sticks right out like a buzz saw —just a super straight line of craggy peaks. It’s a magic place and I’d love to go back.

    TGR: What surprised you most about the environment down there?

    SW: What surprised me the most was the reliance you have on technology down there. The reliance you have on your planes and fuel to get you in and out. Without the logistics set up down there, there is really nothing. And the feeling of remoteness, if I go to Africa or if I go to Asia I always feel like there are other people around, there are cites and all these other things — you feel remote when you are in the mountains, but you can basically walk out of any of those places. And in Antarctica you can’t walk out, there is no place to go.

    

    TGR: What is different about skiing in Antarctica?

    SW: It’s interesting because Antarctica is both the highest continent on earth and the driest continent on earth so they don’t receive very much precipitation at all, but what they do receive stays as snow. And it gets these really cool light effects and the snow blows around so it looks like diamonds hanging in the air. But the ski conditions were typically just a few inches of snow over a firm base and sometimes ice, so it’s way different than what I’m used to skiing in the Northwest, which is just tons and tons of sick powder.

    TGR: Anything different from an avalanche perspective down there?

    SW: Yeah, it’s funny from an avalanche stability perspective, because even on flat terrain you get this whompfing sound. Up here it would totally freak me out, but down there it’s really common — even on flat terrain that won’t avalanche, you get these big air pockets trapped in the snow and you can hear it rolling along for like a quarter mile. It would last forever. Then you could hear it moving down the valley, it was totally insane.

    But as far as avalanches, especially ice avalanches and cornice falls, they just don’t have them because the glaciers move so slow and it’s so cold there that you don’t really have seracs that collapse. We saw some debris and the guys that work down there said it was from two years ago. Where in Alaska or on Mount Rainier that stuff changes day by day. Down there it’s on the year-to-year program.

    

    TGR: What did you wind up skiing in Antarctica?

    SW: We ended up skiing some moderate stuff. The less steep stuff was really glaciated and there was lots of crevassing around. We actually got on some stuff around Union Glacier Camp, which is the main logistics base that you fly into. Around there it’s really variable from really sun affected and really hard snow to just a few inches of powder over really firm base. It could be good skiing but it also could be really bad skiing.

    And the wind goes to work on stuff pretty quick down there. It will blow snow from one side of the mountain to the other. Depending on the way the winds blowing the powder will either be on one side of the range or the other. 

    _____

    Part 3 - Denali
    _____ 

    TGR: Antarctica, the Ice Cliff and you’ve skied off Denali as well?

    SW: Yeah, one big ski descent on Denali. That was in 2009 right after I got back from Mount Everest. I met up with a my friend Tyler Jones and he had camp set up at 14,000 feet so we did one day from the airstrip to 7,000 feet, then to 14,000 feet, rested a day, then went to the summit and then skied back all the way.

    A lot of people down-climb the West Buttress, but we ended up skiing down it and spent another rest day and then skied all the way out.

    TGR: What was the toughest part of that trip?

    The toughest part of that trip was that I actually had Giardia from Katmandu and didn’t realize it. I was super sick up there. By the time I got done with that I’d just come from Everest, spent a few days with my folks and then went right up to Denali and every three days or so I’d be violently ill. By the time I got back home I’d lost twenty-five pounds. I was pretty weak by the time I’d got back.  

    TGR: Anything on your hit list for this winter that you’re excited about?

    SW: So this winter I’m excited to see La Nina coming back because I’m a Northwest guy. I’m pretty excited for a good ski season. I might get a chance to go back to Antarctica with Dave Hahn, so that’s in the works. That’s just one of the coolest places on Earth and I’d love to go back. In the springtime I’m possibly heading back to Everest — after a year off I’m ready to get back on the big one. And that’s it, that’s my horizon right now.

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  • 2 years ago
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• Video: La Nina Is Back At Jack Video: La Nina Is Back At Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

  • From: SamPetri
  • Description:

    November 28, 2011

    It's game on in the Tetons. We're finally skiing, busting out laps at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. You can almost hear the collective steam release from each person's personal pressure valve. That may sound dirty, but it's true. Sliding on snow changes your state of mind. Everyone's a bit more positive around here. Everyone's a bit calmer. People are smiling. The Village Cafe is serving slices again and people are apres skiing just a few hundred feet from this office right now. It's Monday. Fuck yeah. 

    JHMR made this video to kick off the season. As you probably read on every other ski blog, La Nina is back. And that means big snow for the West this winter season. Right now, there's not a ton of snow, but there is enough coverage that the resort opened with 3,000 vertical feet of terrain, or to the top of Thunder Chairlift.

    Watch as JHMR athletes Adam Dowell and Lynsey Dyer sample the goods early and Jim Woodmencey of Mountainweather.com confirms that we're set for some solid precipitation in the Tetons. Bridger-Teton National Forest lead avalanche forecaster Bob Comey briefs the ski patrol and electronic duo Javelin provides the magical vibe at the end with the song "Lindsay Brohan." Can't wait to see how this season plays out. 

    — Sam Petri

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  • 2 years ago
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• Video: Control - Mike Douglas' Video: Control - Mike Douglas' Whistler Embedded Day 2

  • From: media-75233
  • Description:

    November 16, 2011

    Control – On his second day Embedded at the Peak of Whistler Mountain, pro skier Mike Douglas gets the inside story from veteran Whistler avalanche forecaster Anton Horvathon on what to expect from La Nina this season and the avalanche control work being done to prepare the mountain. After a spine tingling sunrise over the Black Tusk and his first powdery turns, Mike confidently declares ski season to be ready.

    Click Here For The Latest From Mike. 

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  • 2 years ago
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• Alta Calling: Dose of Stoke wi Alta Calling: Dose of Stoke with TJ David ep #1 on WIDSIX TV

  • From: widsix
  • Description:
    Alta Calling: Dose of Stoke with TJ David ep #1 on WIDSIX TV
    "Dose of Stoke" is our most recent show to launch... starring TJ David, who is a professional freeskier and all around badass. 
    By watching Dose of Stoke, you will be able to get your stoke on year round... including everything from TJ throughout the year... POW shred footage to whitewater kayaking footage. 
    The 1st Dose of Stoke (episode #1: Alta Calling) comes from some of TJ's POW footage from the backcountry surrounding Alta and Snowbird in Utah, during the La Nina Dumpage of the 2010-11 ski season. 
    Find more of TJ David at: http://tjdavidski.com
    Watch more rad videos on WIDSIX TV: http://widsix.tv
  • 2 years ago
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• News: NOAA Predicts Another La News: NOAA Predicts Another La Nina Winter

  • From: media-75233
  • Description:

     

    

    October 21, 2011

    For the 2011-12 winter, the Pacific Northwest is set to get pummeled with snow while the Southern Plains are predicted to be dry. In the middle of the two regions are the Rocky Mountains, which this report doesn't specifically address. However, it does confirm that La Nina is back. Last season, that meant big snow for most of the mountain West. Throwing a curve ball in the mix is "Arctic Oscillation," which can be both good and bad for skiers. Read on to learn more about this winter's predicted weather patterns.

    Via the National Oceanic And Atmpspheric Administration website:

    The Southern Plains should prepare for continued drier and warmer than average weather, while the Pacific Northwest is likely to be colder and wetter than average from December through February, according to the annual Winter Outlook released by NOAA.

    For the second winter in a row, La Niña will influence weather patterns across the country, but as usual, it’s not the only climate factor at play. The ‘wild card’ is the lesser-known and less predictable Arctic Oscillation that could produce dramatic short-term swings in temperatures this winter.

    NOAA expects La Niña, which returned in August, to gradually strengthen and continue through the upcoming winter. It is associated with cooler than normal water temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean and influences weather throughout the world.

     “The evolving La Niña will shape this winter,” said Mike Halpert, deputy director of NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. “There is a wild card, though. The erratic Arctic Oscillation can generate strong shifts in the climate patterns that could overwhelm or amplify La Niña’s typical impacts.”

    The Arctic Oscillation is always present and fluctuates between positive and negative phases. The negative phase of the Arctic Oscillation pushes cold air into the U.S. from Canada. The Arctic Oscillation went strongly negative at times the last two winters, causing outbreaks of cold and snowy conditions in the U.S. such as the “Snowmaggedon” storm of 2009.  Strong Arctic Oscillation episodes typically last a few weeks and are difficult to predict more than one to two weeks in advance.

    With La Niña in place Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico and parts of surrounding states are unlikely to get enough rain to alleviate the ongoing drought. Texas, the epicenter of the drought, experienced its driest 12-month period on record from October 2010 through September 2011.

    Stormy periods can occur anytime during the winter season. To improve the ability to predict and track winter storms, NOAA implemented a more accurate weather forecast model on Oct.18.  Data gathered from the model will support local weather forecast office efforts to prepare for and protect the public from weather events. This service is helping the country to become a Weather-Ready Nation at a time when extreme weather is on the rise.

    

    According to the U.S. Winter Outlook (December through February) odds tilt in favor of:

    • Pacific Northwest:  colder and wetter than average. La Niña often results in below-average temperatures and increased mountain snow in the Pacific Northwest and western Montana during the winter months. This may set the stage for spring flooding in the Missouri River Basin;

    • California: colder than average and wetter than average conditions in northern California and drier than average conditions in southern California.  All of the southern part of the nation are at risk of having above normal wildfire conditions starting this winter and lasting into the spring;

    • Northern Plains: colder and wetter than average.  Spring flooding could be a concern in parts of this region;

    • Southern Plains and Gulf Coast States: warmer and drier than average. This will likely exacerbate drought conditions in these regions;

    • Florida and south Atlantic Coast: drier than average, with an equal chance for above-, near-, or below-normal temperatures. Above normal wildfire conditions;

    • Ohio and Tennessee Valleys: wetter than average with equal chances for above-, near-, or below-average temperatures. Potential for increased storminess and flooding;

    • Northeast and Mid-Atlantic: equal chances for above-, near-, or below-normal temperatures and precipitation. Winter weather for these regions is often driven not by La Niña but by the Arctic Oscillation. If enough cold air and moisture are in place, areas north of the Ohio Valley and into the Northeast could see above-average snow;

    • Great Lakes: colder and wetter than average;

    • Hawaii: above-average temperatures in the western islands with above normal precipitation during the winter.  Some drought recovery is expected across the state with Kauai and Oahu having the best potential for full recovery.

    • Alaska: colder than average over the southern half of the state and the panhandle with below average precipitation in the interior eastern part of the state.

    This seasonal outlook does not project where and when snowstorms may hit or provide total seasonal snowfall accumulations. Snow forecasts are dependent upon winter storms, which are generally not predictable more than a week in advance. 

    NOAA's National Weather Service is the primary source of weather data, forecasts and warnings for the United States and its territories. NOAA’s National Weather Service operates the most advanced weather and flood warning and forecast system in the world, helping to save lives and livelihoods and enhance the national economy. Working with partners, NOAA’s National Weather Service is building a Weather-Ready Nation to support community resilience in the face of increasing vulnerability to extreme weather. Visit them at weather.gov.

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  • 2 years ago
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• Video: Salomon Freeski TV Seas Video: Salomon Freeski TV Season 5 Episode 1 La Nina

  • From: media-75233
  • Description:

    October 11, 2011

    There are three things that really make this episode of Salomon Freeski TV: La Nina, RC Aerial Cam and Cody Townsend's mustache. The powder snow is deep, the camera shots from the remote control heli are unique and it's clear that Townsend's spirit animal is the walrus.

    The ski world is a buzz with predictions that La Nina is back for the 2011-12 winter season. Let's hope the snow comes in is as deep as it is in this video — especially from 3:00 to 3:12 during the Whistler Blackcomb segment.

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  • 2 years ago
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• Yvan and the Rockstars Yvan and the Rockstars

  • From: johnforrest
  • Description:

    Posted by Ann Hofer

    The past heli season at Northern Escape Heli-Skiing saw the return of celluloid and the antics of a strong crew of filmers, riders and athletes or proskiers. There were familiar faces from Standard Films Travis Robb and Ondo filming as well Mads Jonsson, Lonnie Kauk, Torstein Horgmo, Mathieu Crepel all familiar with the style of riding and snow conditions of the Skeena Mountains. It is always a relief to see familiar faces cause our guiding job includes developing a profile of each individual rider. This allows us to chose appropriate terrain that meets their style. I’ll talk about terrain later so for the moment I’ll mention the newbies that showed up. Mark Carter, Sammy Luebke, Aaron Bittner, Blair Habenacht and lastly perhaps the most performing rider Kazu Kobiko. Yes, as Mads stated and proclaimed he has a new found belief that Kazu may be the most talented rider he’s witnessed of any style. Honestly we were all taken aback by Kazu’s choice of lines, be it tech pillows or big mountain spine freestyle. Wow! To be present and witness 80 foot trick airs to stomp. Individually these riders are all world class and the NEH team had the their work cut out for them.

    The synergy between the riders we met this season was exceptional, as the senior or more experienced riders often shared opinions on terrain choice. This exchange builds confidence in per say a line choice as quite often unknowns are always present. The key element for a rider is to remain calm and not get frustrated in times when things aren’t falling in place perfectly. A perfectionist that is hard on himself can often fall out of balance if too critical of oneself.

    The man Finding new lines such as the Samurai Spines and revisiting Hell’s Gate a pillow zone that has epic sized drops that are hard to comprehend until your standing in the drop zone. The other challenge we faced was of course the weather. We started the month long tour with some clear, cold bluebird conditions which made for long days. This high pressure system blew in from the North with some severity which affected most every piece of exposed terrain so we were forced to move to sheltered tree runs. Here’s a couple tricks the riders use to maintain there energy on icy cold days. Pack and extra pair of goggles and mitts instead of gloves, snack often and stay hydrated.

    What makes Northern Escape so desirable to film crews is the diversity of terrain. In any condition we can get into the mountains and put together a day of filming. Mark Carter stated “ It’s like being in AK but you have the advantage of having reference points so things aren’t so scary.” The guiding policy when things are tough and we are getting pushed around by weather is to break the terrain down and isolate features instead of looking at a whole mountain.

    TB20 will be released for premiere viewing in Sept. so stay tuned for the trailer. Standard Films has always been known for putting together solid productions with a compliment of great music and historical footage. This DVD will be a must for your library.They have also made a huge production change and are shooting mostly digital, so your wide screen TV will transport you to the scene. Riders were also shooting POV with Contour so you’ll feel vertigo all in the comfort of your couch and bowl of buttered popcorn.

    Our season was just about done and we were down to the last couple of weeks when John was contacted by Matchstick Productions. Alaskan Ranges had been subjected to the same cold fronts we experienced in
    Terrace although they were severely short of snow and spines and the mountains were wind raked. After crunching a budget John told us it’s on. Two weeks of film with producer cinematographer Scott Gaffney and Mattias Fredriksson, Swede shooting still and Fred Arne Wergeland from Norway shooting RED.

    My first question to John was okay who is skiing? That question wasn’t answered until I was at the airport picking up the crew and delivering them with there private chef from Crested Butte Colorado. Kevin this dude can cook ribs and has inspired me to make my own rubs and make the best breakfast sandwich on the planet.

    Back on track, I could easily turn this blog into a foodie column, Cody Townsend with his oversize mustache was familiar to me, as he skied with Team 13 and had the opportunity to be in the Skeena Range for one bluebird day during our premiere season back in 2005. We actually got his segment done in one day production quality was more of B Movie style at Team 13. Also at the airport I greeted Henrik Windstedt from Sweden, as the pro male model... He does the role justice. I’m talking about skiing, he is a Big Mountain Free ride skier to the bone. He and Cody met on the World Free ride Extremes circuit in Europe some years ago and have been doing segments for Matchstick for the past couple seasons. For the first week our crew consisted of two skiers and three crew. Quantum Helicopters flew a B2 A Star for us. The last member to join us was Rory Bushfield , he had been here in Terrace twice before. Rory is big on freestyle tricks, jumping off structures such as bridges into freezing cold rivers or crashing through some kind of inferno.

    The highlight of the trip in my eyes came down to the crunch. It was like a play at a baseball game. The base were loaded and we had the star batter in the box. The pitcher had a huge wad of chewing gum and was a cool player under pressure.

    So let me summarize a day in the life of a Rockstar skier. The guides made arrangements to lift early with the heli as the weather was the most promising we’d observed in two weeks. We lifted to the sunrise morning glow inbound to Umpa Lumpa Spines while the skiers discussed line choices. I flew with the pilot to establish landing zones on a knife edge ridge at the entrances for Henrik, Rory and Cody. This ridge is notorious for having huge cornices so it’s actually a invaluable to observe conditions without pressure from the skiers. It was a go, with skiers in place and filmers ready a cloud built between skiers and filmers obscuring the view so we played the waiting game. All the skiers acomplished the lines after some patience was practiced from ridgecrest. Just over the ridge in the adjacent valley I was able to keep an eye on the weather pattern so we moved to Wonderland Spines and slaughtered the zone. As filming was about to end we went for a check flight to the north which led us to the Star Creek headwaters. West Hustler Peak and a new zone waiting for a 1st descent was in perfect light so line choices and logistics were the task at hand.

    Light was moving quickly on the east face of the new spine zone so we chose to get this in the can. Establishing a new zone is always exciting, the unknown always has a certain appeal although this piece of terrain I’d been observing and photographing for several years already. Present conditions being stable from avalanches and daylight being optimal although fading due to moving shadows we had to be hasty and get the job done. Cody dropped in from the highest landing and skied an obvious spines in classic big mountain style and transfered onto a lower angle spine to hit a couple pillows off the main spine. Minimal sluffing occurred on his descent so we had good information about the face so with greater confidence we proceeded with Rory’s descent which was more face skiing with a trick feature. The next skier was Henrik who was posted on a pillar landing with terrain falling away from him in all directions. His line choice was an esthetic, spine to short couloir to another major spine and a final transfer to a third spine to the valley bottom. Naming rights always come in the event of a first descent. Saucerboy Spines is the newest film venue at Northern Escape. If you don’t understand who or what signifigance Saucerboy has in this game you should watch the film called Gnar. Soon to be another classic film production from MSP visit skimovie.com for to build your DVD collection.

    Scott Gaffney made the call to shoot from the heli for this feature so you’ll be on the edge of your seat watching this production. POV headcams are a mainstay so check out the action packed trailer called - La Nina The Bitch is Back.

    BY THE WAY! I CAN’T BELIEVE CODY TOWNSEND IS A PRO IN THIS FILM. I’m a way better skier than him.

    Yvan is a founding guide at Northern Escape Heli-Skiing and has been instrumental developing and guiding the film program and ensuring the evolution of the sport and film productions..

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• Video: Loyalty Trailer By Tele Video: Loyalty Trailer By Telemark Skier Magazine

  • From: media-75233
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    Loyalty explores the revolutionary youth telemark movement while also introducing some of the most profound telemark skiing on the planet. The flick blends appearances from TSM Crew, a first-of-its kind athlete/content creation team including the likes of JT Robinson and Weston D, along with performances by innovative newcomers like Kate Hourihan, Tony Gill and Dylan Garner. “This La Nina year made for one of the longest winters I can remember,” Madsen says. “The powder just kept on coming.” In scenes both on and off-piste, the film showcases the sport’s most avant-garde moves in the deep powder and in the park. “One of my favorite days this year was filming Dylan Garner doing tricks in the park that I’ve never seen before,” Madsen adds. “It reminds me of how important youth are to the progress of this sport.”

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• Video: North American Summer S Video: North American Summer Ski And Snowboard Camps Kick Into High Gear

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    Boreal summer Camp: Thanks to the ridiculous amounts of snow that dropped everywhere in the U.S. thanks to La Nina, Boreal decided to have their first summer camp. The camp was from June 20-24 and was coached by USSA Coach of the Year Dylan Omlin. 

    Momentum Summer Camp: Momentum at Whistler blackcomb celebrated their 20th year this year by adding a 22 ft. halfpipe, to go along with their moguls, jumps, and jibs.

    Woodward at Copper: Colorado's Signal Snowboard team stopped into Woodward at Copper to dominate their park and indoor training facility. Pretty sick Shred-it.

    Windells: Bag Jumps, Skate Parks, Terrain parks, Training bags, trampolines, more pro riders in and out that I'd be willing to count, and a ton of camp activities. Yea Windells is a pretty cool place to be.

    High Cascade: What do Scotty Vine, Scotty Lago, Danny Davis and Scott Stevens have in common? Oh yea, they were all at High Cascade session 2. Sickness!

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• Video: Attack Of La Nina Trail Video: Attack Of La Nina Trailer By Matchstick Productions

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    MSP’s latest triumph, “Attack of La Niña”, chronicles the deepest North American winter in recent history. This new film follows in the footsteps of “The Way I See It”, MSP’s 2010 release and the most decorated ski movie of all time. “Attack of La Niña” showcases the talents of today’s best skiers in a journey through the snowiest winter of their lives. This action-packed film – captured using the most state of the art camera equipment available – demonstrates the limit of what is possible in modern freeskiing. Featuring super steep descents, unbelievably deep powder, and giant airs, “Attack of La Niña” will transport you to Colorado, Alaska, British Columbia, Washington, California, and many other world-class destinations. 

    “Attack of La Niña” features the tremendous skiing brilliance of: Mark Abma, Sean Pettit, Eric Hjorleifson, Rory Bushfield, Henrik Windstedt, Cody Townsend, Jacob Wester, Ingrid Backstrom, Bobby Brown, Gus Kenworthy, Richard Permin, Colby West, James Heim, Callum Pettit, Alex Schlopy, Russ Henshaw, and Torin Yater-Wallace.

    Visit Matchsick's Website Here

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• News: Baldface Adds New Lodge News: Baldface Adds New Lodge Building

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    <img src ="http://www.theoutlawpartners.com/clients/baldface/1106_Baldface/images/header.jpg"</img>

    Baldface Lodge is excited to announce a brand new two-story, 9,000 square foot, 26 room dorm style building to replace the existing Atco trailer wing that has served the alpine cat-skiing operation for the past nine seasons. The Atco wing suffered a roof collapse late this spring thanks to heavy snows brought on by La Nina last season.

    "We have been working hard to get all the plans in place to begin demolition and reconstruction as soon as the snow is off the ground," says Jeff Pensiero, President of Baldface.

    Baldface has retained the talents of Steven Kaup of Studio 9 Architecture + Planning Ltd. as the architect on the project, Maglio Installations as the general contractor, and Andrew Swan and Don Willems (Effi-Struc, SNT engineering) as the engineers. "We're also going to build a new addition to the main lodge which will house a commercial grade spa type salt water soaker tub, four new massage treatment rooms, and a 1,000 square foot conference and yoga space to hold retreats, meetings and gatherings," continues Pensiero. "Coupled with the extensive trail system enjoyed by hikers and mountain bikers, we plan on offering a full service summer location in addition to our winter offerings."

    Stay tuned to construction updates at baldface.net

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• Yo Soy La Nina - Trench Warfar Yo Soy La Nina - Trench Warfare

  • From: eyeini
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    12.3.10. Jackson Hole. Viva La Nina!
  • 3 years ago
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• Yo Soy La Nina - Thunderhorse Yo Soy La Nina - Thunderhorse

  • From: eyeini
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    Spanish for: I am the nina.
  • 3 years ago
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